The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-07
NEWS OF the LAWMAKERS.
Scenes and Incidents of the Opening
session of Congress.
The sphlnx-Like Negotiators In Their
Stately Deliberations.
Yesterdays DoIngs In Washington
Comment on the Message.
Especial to the Press.l

and il was fully three hours before noon
when the people who wanted to see the
sights which attend the opening of a new
Congress began to flock up along Pennsyl-
vania avenue. They came by car, by coach.
on foot and on horseback, and when
they were there they filed the capital to
repletion. Great gaping black masses filled
all the galleries in the Honse; in the Senate,
too, where up almost to the very last mo-
| ment. outside the Senatorial circle OF few
who managed the matter, it was not known
| exactly what would be done in regard to the
| seats of David Turpie, of Indiana, and G.
j. Faulkner, of West Virginia, the crush
was very great. A great roar. half OF
pleasure, half of disappointment swept
| over the lookers-on when they saw every
thing pass off so quietly.
The capitol has been frightened up good
deal during the summer. The new carpet
which has been spread over the floor Of the
House, being rather lighter than its prede-
cessor, and with newness spread all over It,
| gives as lively an air as it can impart to the
| lower branch. Looking down from the gal
| leries above the effect is certainly very much
| more cheerful. The political atmosphere
will be rather more cheerful and lively, also,
probably. The narrowing of the difference
between the numerical strength of the TIVE
wings on strict party vote has good deal
| to do with it.
The first day was mostly given uo to the
drawing of seats. Some men place great
deal Of Importance ON the seat which they
occupy. For some men its position does
mean good deal. They are able to catch
the speakers eye, of course, far more read
lily if they sit in the centre of the
House, or within six seats of the narrow
centre aisle. But this ability to appeal to
the speaker by appearing before his range OF
vision makes difference principally to the
frequent debater. To the man who only
rises to be allowed to suspend the rules to do
this or that, it matters not so much. He
must go to the speaker beforehand, under
all circumstances, and obtain promise OF
recognition before he will find it of any use
to rise on the floor and attempt to secure
one move or another in legislation. But the
New England men, as rule, were wei
favored by fate and the chances of situation
are such that they should not be set back
from rising to new eminence on that score.
The talk, now that the House is organized,
is all of committees, and what the leading
comlnittee, the ways and means folks, in
tend to do. And again what the Republicans
will do as against them. There is decidedly
more harmony among the Republicans than
ever before. They seemed disposed not only
to do what they can. to demonstrate to the
country the shifting course of the Demo-
Gratis but as well to make an aggressive
r. II. rlo xsaxx Of
gresham Reed, which have been widely re-
printed, seem to meet the ideas Of the ma
jority. Mr.. Reeds advice, on coming back,
was at once sought by the leading tariff men
on his own side, and the unbroken una
nimity with which he was chosen again as
caucus nominee for speaker shows how
thoroughly he has won the regard of his
colleagues and what a tremendous lead
he will have for the speakership in case the
House of the Fifty-frst Congress is Repub-
can, as seems eminently likely to be the
case.
The fishery commission continues to pur-
sue its sessions regardless of Congress, the
Presidents message or anything else. 1t is
doubtful if anything less than an earth
quake could stop their solemn but highly
amusing negotiations. They are, to further
the projects of Secretary Bayard, going
over and over subject, about the discus
sion of which no one seems to care. They
may fix to hairs breadth the actual delin-
cation of the three-mile limit and the coun-
try would not mind it one-tenth as much as
drop of five points in an important rail-
road stock But the commission is very gor-
geously quartered and very pompously pro-
ceeding Mr. Joseph Chamberlain keeps
pretty close in his nine or ten rooms of the
81 at the Arlington which the commission
occupies, except when he is IN the diplomatic
chamber at the State Department, or out at
dinner at the house of some of the English
men or swell Americans. Since the moment
Gus day when Mr.. Chamberlain interviewed
27 reporters all at one stroke, and contrived
to tell all and each of them nothing at all,
offering each and all cigar, he has refused
| to see the newpaper men. A representative
| of the New York Herald tried -and tried in
| vain to secure an audience with Mr.. Cham
| berlain on two successive days. but the lively
| Joe lodged him every time, and when he was
| finally cornered excused himself.
Commissioner Putnam sits nearest Mr..
| Bayard in the commissions room, and ex
| actly on his right, facing Sir Charles Tup-
| per- Mr.. Putnam has been diligently sought
| by New Enganders loaded with inquiries as
! to the probable result of the commission,
and like inquistiyeness. But he, while not
| lodging his friends and acquaintances, has
| cultivated with great success the Sphinx-like
| silence which enables him to keep the prec-
| ious ideas of the arbitrators locked tightly
| inside his head. Mr.. Putnam has been in
| vted out with the commission quite freely,
and on several occasions has had this COM
| pliment paid to himself Minister West is
the most deceiving man on the commission.
| He is slight no bearded, and tow-headed,
and he is the last person you would take for
the skilful diplomatist he has made himself
| The most inspiring thing in the whole room
| is the portrait of James G. Blaine, directly
over Mr.. Chamberlain's head.
Ben Butterworth, of Ohio. has come back
with his bright and pretty daughter, and is
| Just asfpll as ever of his commercial union
idea. He has been travelling about and
talking Of it ever since he annouced him
self here last spring just after adjournment
| as its special champion. He is going to Bos-
ton during the holidays to speak before that
| notable organization, the Merchants Club,
on the matter On returning here from the
east find that sentiment favoring it has
rather been growing in some quarters. A
| Michigan Congressman said that there was
but one member in the whole State delega-
tion who did not support the proposition. Mr.
Butterworth will probably try to do some-
thing in Congress about it this season.
Together with his proposal and Edwin At.
kinson's, and continuing the present state Of
affairs, the people have plenty of liberty OF
inspectors for Portland.
Congressman Reed, by dint of couple Of
interviews with; the Treasury Department
has secured the promise that a sufficient
number of inspectors shall be appointed tC
attend to the vessels now arriving in ant
departing from Portland on steamship lines
VAN.
Some important Nominations.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.
The President has sent the following nomi
nations to the Senate:
Lucius O. c. Lamar, of Mississippi, to be assc
ciate Justice of the Supreme Court OF the Unite
William F. Villas, of Wisconsin, to be secretar
| of the Interior. ,,,,. =, ~.